Women seeking to get pregnant often go to great lengths to increase their chances of those happy pink lines: eating only the cleanest foods proven to increase fertility, taking special supplements and avoiding smoking, caffeine and alcohol. The most common anti-fertility offenders are easy to spot: wine, raw fish, coffee and others. But one everyday over-the-counter medication could hinder even the most proactive future mom’s efforts.

A new study showed that taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can dramatically disrupt fertility. Researchers asked almost forty women of childbearing age to take NSAIDs throughout their menstrual cycle. The medications included naproxen, which is sold over the counter.

The researchers took ultrasounds before and after to check the health of the women’s ovaries. They also measured levels of progesterone, a hormone crucial to helping a fertilized egg attach to the lining of a womb.

What they found was troubling. Ovulation was reduced by 75 to 93 percent, depending on the drug the women took. Progesterone levels dropped, too. What’s more, one-third of the subjects developed an ovarian cyst because of unruptured follicles. Follicles are supposed to rupture to release an egg in healthy women.

The good news is when women stopped taking the drugs, fertility improved immediately.

Other unusual ways to improve fertility include avoiding plastics and exercising more. Maintaining a healthy body mass index is important, too; researchers found a 4 percent decrease in conception odds for every point in B-M-I above 30.

A woman trying for a baby should consult with her doctor before attempting fertility treatments. A knowledge of fertility dos and don’ts should be part of any mom-to-be’s pre-baby kit.